If It’s New, It Ain’t True and If It’s True It Ain’t New
August 2023
IF IT’S NEW, IT AIN’T TRUE AND IF IT’S TRUE, IT AIN’T NEW
I just wanted to share with you what we confront on the other side of the walls. Usually we meet in the Chapel, which in the past was called the Protestant Chapel. There always used to be crosses on the walls behind us when we taught. That is no longer the case. In order not to offend anyone, they have been removed or set aside. This is one of the changes I have witnessed during the 25+ years that I have been going into the prisons. The other major change, although more subtle, is the increase so-called Christians. In fact, when we use the Word of God to define what a Christians is, we get a lot of push-back if not outright anger not from the non-Christians but from those who have their unique definition of what a Christian is.
I believe that is one of the reasons that most of the protestant ministries shy away from teaching/preaching Scripture in favor of messages that feel good and don’t offend or worse use scripture to support a message that is not actually in the text. That is dangerous!
We are often asked, especially when visiting a prison for the first time, “Who are you guys and what church are you from?” In other words, they want to know what “type” of Christians we are. We tell them that we are biblical Christians, followers of Christ. It seems like just saying Christian is not enough although it should be. That is why after our introductions we ask them the following, "Do you believe in the authority of God’s word? Do you agree that everything that His word says about Him is true and that He defines in scripture what a true Christian is?” Almost all say “amen”. Then we begin one of our many seminars teaching His word, not our opinion and not a new truth but what is clearly understood as the unchanging truth - The one and only true Gospel. Inevitably, what is discovered by many is that their definition is contrary to His. For example, and there are many examples, a Christian receives salvation only through the work of Christ, His life, His death and His resurrection. He suffered the wrath of the Father in our place. We are saved by His grace and no work of our own (Eph. 2:8-9). The more we learn His word and follow His example the more in awe we become of Christ and are constantly humbled by who He is and thankful for who we have become in Him. Through Christ, we are rescued from darkness and transferred into His kingdom. We are redeemed and forgiven by His work and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are called to live as children of God obeying our Lord and Savior. When they see that Christians throughout the history of the church were known by their fruits as children of light who stand out in darkness, they understand that when one becomes a Christian it will become evident through their actions. This truth is one that causes anger. The idea that one can say, “I’m a Christian, because I prayed” and yet they live like a child of the devil should be absurd to everyone but has in fact become an accepted proclamation.
While we acknowledge that there are many false teachings inside prisons, they are outside of them as well. It is in these environments that we continue so see the mighty hand of God at work. In every facility we find amazing examples of true Christians. We exhort them, encourage them and they share the gospel to those we can’t reach. We also are blessed by witnessing many men and women realizing that what they had believed was either passed down to them as tradition or something they heard from someone on TV but didn’t think to read what scripture actually said. They realize that there is only one truth, one gospel and the truth ain’t new.
-TIM WAGONER (FUMI PRESIDENT)
UPDATE ON FUMI
New opportunities: We will be going to High Desert, which is a prison next to CCC (Susanville). I spoke with the CRM and was told that they are very interested in our weekend workshops/seminars. I have also spoken to the Chaplain of Solano state prison and he is interested in us coming on weekdays. Lord willing, we will be visiting both Solano and High Desert before the end of the year. We continue to visit
Corcoran, NKSP, SVSP multiples time a year. We also go to Pelican Bay once or twice a year. I still go into Chowchilla women’s prison as well as FSP (Old Folsom) to preach during their church services.
It is wonderful to minister to the many we reach but there is so many more that we need to get to. Remember there are still over 30 state prisons and Federal prisons. When we get into a prison for our first time, they most often want us back on a regular basis, which is great, but we don’t have the resources or the manpower yet.
Our ministry in Africa continues to go well. We are sending, Samuel A. Mwakasungula (Tanzania) and Michael Tetteh (Ghana) The Fundamentals of the Faith as well as our correspondence lessons and certificates. When I visited with Michael in Ghana, we gave certificates to hundreds of students and many of them asked to go onto future studies. There is great demand for material from both countries.
We are hoping to have our new website up and running before the end of July. It will have information on our partners in Africa and provide opportunities to support them.
GOD HAS YOU WHERE HE WANTS YOU
Yes that's true, God does have you where He wants you! What a hard pill to swallow! But, after nearly forty years of incarceration, I am now sitting at my desk in a wonderful apartment with Asian antiques everywhere in beautiful Monterey, California minutes away from Carmel, Pacific Grove, Seaside, and not far down the road Santa Cruz! I can smell the ocean air. I have a glimpse of Monterey Bay from my patio and I'm only a short walk away from seeing the waves breaking. That being said, I'm right where God wants me. And even when I was in prison, I was right where God wanted me. Needless to say, that was not where I wanted to be!
Like many of you I hated prison. I detested the treatment by the guards and even worse the horrible treatment by other prisoners, who preyed on the weak.
Look, I did thirty-one years in Old Folsom. I started there as a level four in the eighties, when it was so violent. I often compared it to war--I'm a Vietnam vet!
Then, not to mention my final years in Jamestown with a bunch of twenty-somethings in dorms all the while avoiding bus arrival days where we were attacked because Jamestown became a Non-Designated Program Facility. But, again and nonetheless, "He had me where He wanted Me". And like I had done for many years before, I surrendered to His will for me.
Let me cut to the chase. I sat in front of the parole board eleven times before I was found suitable, but I was truly suitable the first time I went. You probably know, by the statutes and standards of the laws sat before them, they were deemed responsible to let me go at my initial hearing! Yep, that's right, my initial hearing! So why did I serve nearly four decades? Well my readers, it had nothing to do with the Board of Prison Terms, Prison Hearing or whatever label they wanted to call themselves. I was serving all that time by Divine appointment. See God used me in a such a mighty way. Over all those years, He matured me, humbled me, taught me patience, and showed me "that the testing of [my] faith produces endurance...perfecting and completing [me]" in His abundant grace and mercy (James 1:3-4).
He used those years to "create in me a clean heart" and taught me to "lean not on [my] own understanding [but] acknowledge Him in all [my] ways" (Ps. 51:10; Prov. 3:5-6)--Pretty cool, huh! While not to appear self-aggrandizing, I can't begin to tell you how many lives I was instrumental in helping change and grow into becoming God fearing persons. And that was all because He had me where He wanted me so I could become the man He shaped and molded for service.
Are you angry about Him having you where He wants you today? If so, just surrender and embrace the journey--knowing that in His time, He will set you free long before you leave prison! Yep, I said that! One thing about being out here, is that no one sees the bondage people are in. And in so many ways it is much more confining than prison could ever be. All bars and walls are not always made of brick, mortar, and steel. Those mental bars are so much more confining and for some they will never get paroled from their fears, addictions, and mindsets!
Listen, when you learn to be in the moment and let God direct your steps right where you are and quiet your mind to hear what He has for you to do and be right where He wants you--Then, and only then, will you enjoy the "peace that surpasses all understanding!" So that one day you will proclaim "He had me where He wanted me until He had me where He wanted me!" That time and moment, as you sit in your so-called abode to smell the ocean and listen to breaking waves, whatever that may be for you--the woods, the streets of L.A. etc. You will not be doing anything any different; He will just have a different venue for you to serve Him in!
I want you to know, I'm not doing anything I didn't do in prison. I just have a larger audience where He wants me now! May God be with you abundantly on this day that He has made!!! He really does have you where He wants you. The question is, what are you going to do there until He has you where He wants you next?
GREG (HAM) HAMILTON
BIO: SAMUEL FROM TANZANIA
I am Samuel. I am 45 years old. I married my wife, Valleria and the Lord has blessed us with four beautiful children -two girls and two boys. I graduated from the Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver, Colorado an extension of Arusha, Tanzania, and was awarded a Bachelor of Biblical Studies. I then graduated from the East African Mission School in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and was awarded a Bachelor in intercultural studies.
I started serving under Follow Up Ministries in 2012 in collaboration with Glenn Morrison who is the Founder of Follow Up Ministries International. I served with him until he went to be with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven on September 17, 2016. During his life we were learning from him through the WhatsApp method and through correspondence courses.
We are happy to cooperate together as guardians of this ministry in Tanzania in order to respond to the great commission of Jesus Christ as spoken about in Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus Christ did not say to go to all the world to preach the Gospel and not to go to prison.
Thank you for your cooperation that we may reach people who have been excluded from community and to give them the opportunity to hear the Gospel and obey the Gospel!
-SAMUEL MWAKASUNGULA
CALIFORNIA’S IDEA OF PRISON REFORM
Apparently, in California the definition of prison reform is, “Let them out”. While it’s great to see men and women freed after serving their time, our state just keeps inventing new reasons to lessen sentences resulting in increased crime. This state is already in distress because so much crime goes unpunished. Even when officers make arrests, the perpetrator is let out soon after. Ecclesiastes 8:11, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.” Understand, it is wonderful when men and women get released and are not only rehabilitated but contribute to society but too often that is not the case.
